Gazette Christmas Fund: Life hasn't been fair to Paula

MONTREAL - “I’ve never thought there was anything fair in life,” Paula said. “Fair is not the story of my life.”

Paula’s life certainly doesn’t sound fair.

Now 56, she contracted HIV 14 years ago from an infected needler while getting a tattoo – but that’s not the biggest of her problems.

“I take good care of myself. I take my pills and see my doctors regularly. I won’t drop dead from that,” she said.

Much more life-threatening is her pulmonary hypertension, a condition with which she was diagnosed at the same time she found out she had HIV.

“There’s no control, and no cure,” said Paula, who speaks slowly and breathes heavily between phrases.

The condition has left her isolated, unable to work or socialize. Paula rarely leaves her home, living on a welfare stipend that barely pays the bills.

She is among thousands who are to receive a $125 cheque from the Gazette Christmas Fund this year. The money helps families and individuals in need get through the holiday season.

Alone and fragile, Paula’s only outlet is the television.

“I watch an enormous amount of TV,” she said. “From the time I get up to the time I go to sleep.”

Her television habit stems from a troubled childhood.

“My parents used to argue and I would plant myself in front of the TV,” she said. “It doesn’t criticize me. It doesn’t get mad at me.”

She said her mother, a manic depressive, attempted suicide nearly 10 times before an overdose of Valium killed her when Paula was 20.

Paula’s brother “was a nasty person,” she said, who would harassed her with constant phone calls at 3 a.m. telling her she was worthless.

He, too, was HIV-positive, and died at 38 from an infection he developed after he plunged a dirty knife into his chest.

She doesn’t visit her father in a Laval seniors’ home, she said, because he abused her.

“I’m a tough cookie. After the first few slaps in the face, I guess you get used to it.”

Some positive change is coming to Paula this holiday season; she is moving from her apartment in Little Burgundy to subsidized housing in Verdun.

The lower rent will help her manage her finances. But she must pay for the move, and needs furniture. She said her former roommate abandoned her with a $600 cable bill that will wipe out her savings.

Paula said she plans to use the $125 from the Gazette Christmas fund to buy a futon.

Christmas will be spent alone, watching television.

How you can help: Send donations to The Gazette Christmas Fund, P.O. Box 11057, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montreal, H3C 4Z4. Please use the coupon on Page A11 of Tuesday's Gazette. Fax it to us at (514) 987-2244, or drop off a donation at 1010 Ste. Catherine St. W., or phone us: (514) 987-2400, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or donate online: www.christmasfund.com

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.